


Bookstores and broomsticks

by GoringWriting



Series: IronStrange Bingo 2019 [24]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Books, Bookstores, M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-30 23:33:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19413763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting
Summary: Tony hates the bookstore across the street.Written for my "battle" square





	Bookstores and broomsticks

The Sanctum bookshop, best place to find books on magic and medicine and all that fun stuff that are very popular among the people of New York. 

The walls are old and rustic looking and there are nice couches to sit on and read books for hours. 

The taller owner, Stephen is interesting. Always performing magic tricks for the kids that come into the shop. The shorter owner, Wong, acts like he doesn't want anyone to come in and even touch the books.

But, grumpy owner aside, the Sanctum is a cool place to look for books to buy.

Tony hates it.

He hates it because it is right across the street from the Tower, Tony's bookstore. Tony had opened it in 2008 after a heart attack. It's his shining beacon.

He's wasn't mad at the loss of money. He has plenty of that saved up from when he was in the business world. He's mad on principle. These newcomers had no idea who he might be. For all they knew he could have been a father of four trying to support his family. Or a single mother trying to put food on the table.

They didn't spare a thought for him. They just went and opened a bookstore right across the street. 

He's never seen such a bitch move, and he worked in the corporate world where bitch moves were the norm.

Thus began the battle of the bookstores. Tony slashed his prices. In retaliation Stephen began selling fancy bookmark. So, Tony began selling audiobooks. Thus Stephen began selling manga and comics. So, Tony added a cafe and hired two neighborhood kids, Peter and Harley, to work in it.

The battle went on for nearly a year. Neither of them wanting to back down. The whole neighborhood had bets going on as to who would win.

Tony didn't want to drive them out of business though. He would never do that to a small business. Not unless he had backups for the employees to fall back on.

Tony's not sure how or why but one day they just stopped. They realized that in the name of competition they had changed their sanctuaries into something commercial.

Tony could barely recognize his store and neither could Rhodey or Pepper when they came to visit.

How store was no longer his. No longer the place he loved.

He hated it.

So the battle just stopped. 

Tony locks up his shop after a long day of selling books heads to his apartment. He opens the door and can smell delicious food from the kitchen. 

He walks up behind his husband quietly and wraps his arms around his chest. His husband smiles and runs shaking hands over Tony's.

"Welcome home Tony," he says.

"I love you Stephen," Tony says a smile on his face.


End file.
